I Promise
by fickleminder
Summary: You just don't break promises to cats.
**Author's Note** : Based on a comic on tumblr.

 **Warning** : Mentions of blood and somewhat graphic descriptions of injuries.

* * *

 **I Promise**

"Ready to go?"

"Oh wait! I promised the cats I'd feed them before we left."

Alya arched an eyebrow as Marinette rushed back into the bakery. She let the front door shut with a light jingle and followed her best friend behind the counter, shaking her head fondly. "Those strays again? I know you mean well, but I don't think they understand or care about promises."

Marinette smiled to herself as she brought out a bowl of leftover chicken. She'd always wanted pets ever since she was a kid, but despite her fervent promises to take good care of them, it simply wasn't an option given the business her parents ran. Even small animals like hamsters which could be kept in her room were turned down, and she had long given up trying to push the issue.

Four pairs of hungry eyes greeted her when she opened the back door, and Marinette giggled as their owners began meowing loudly for their meal.

"Alright now, here you go!" She cooed, setting down the chopped meat along with a water dish.

Watching the alley cats dig happily into the food, Marinette could only imagine how her younger self would react if presented with regular strays to play with. There had been a period of time when she had gotten obsessed with kittens, and after another tough (and ultimately unsuccessful) battle with her parents to let her keep one, she had retreated to her room to cuddle with the stuffed cat on her bed, pleading all sorts of promises to it as though it were real.

She remembered those promises to this day, the childlike hope never really fading away.

* * *

 _(I give you food, shelter, and affection, and in return you give me purrs and companionship.)_

"Good evening, Princess!"

"You're late, chaton."

"My sincerest a-paw-logies!" Chat Noir bowed theatrically, tilting his head up to fix her with a wide, hopeful grin. "Is there any way I can make it up to you?"

Marinette shook her head in mock reproach. "Not unless you know how to solve physics problems."

"Why, I happen to be the best!" He boasted, practically preening from where he sat perched on the railings of her balcony.

Pretending to consider the offer, Marinette finally relented after a moment. "Very well then, come on in."

It was hard to pinpoint exactly when Chat had started visiting the Dupain-Cheng bakery, or more specifically, the girl living above it. Sure, Marinette had helped him out during the Evillustrator incident and crossed paths with him when the Gamer and the Puppeteer had attacked, but she never thought their interactions would earn her a regular stray on her balcony. She had always assumed she was just another civilian to him.

"I enjoy your company," had been Chat's simple answer when Marinette had asked. Ever the gentleman, he would leave her be if she was busy and promise to return another day, but Marinette slowly grew to value the companionship that Chat provided during his visits. Granted, it often came with a generous dose of flirting and catlike tendencies, but considering the fact that he would help her out with homework in exchange for leftover pastries every now and then, those were things she could live with.

"Sho y'nid to breh dohn th'forshs –"

"Finish your croissant first, chaton."

There was a heavy gulp followed by a contented sigh. "I said, you need to break down the forces into perpendicular components before resolving them individually."

"In which direction?"

"Doesn't matter, so long as you're consistent. In this case, since the box is moving up a ramp, a good way would be along its slope."

"Got it."

Marinette's free hand absently ruffled Chat's hair in thanks, and she was pleasantly surprised to hear deep, rumbling sounds emanating from his chest. The warm purrs made her heart melt, tempting her to pet him all night. Alas, there was homework to be done, but if she ever got too distracted by a problem, Chat wouldn't hesitate to butt his head against her hand in a bid for attention.

"Dumb cat," she scolded playfully.

" _Your_ dumb cat," he shot back with a wink.

That he was.

* * *

 _(I promise that I will look after you for as long as you're around, or if I can't, that someone else will. You'll never go back to a shelter.)_

Patrol was quieter than usual.

It had been an uneventful night with no signs of trouble, a fact that Ladybug was immensely grateful for, but even then there would normally be some small talk between her and Chat. He seemed somewhat distant for some reason, and had nearly tripped over his tail at least four times while leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Ladybug didn't think too much about it, assuming he was simply having an off day.

Dark clouds were rolling across the night sky by the time their patrol ended, hiding the moon from view. Resting near Theo's statue in the park, Ladybug glanced upwards when she felt a tiny splash of water on her nose.

"Looks like we'll be getting some rain soon," she remarked, holding out her hand to catch more droplets on her palm. Chat gave a non-committal hum in response, and she nudged him lightly before reaching for her yoyo. "Great job tonight, Chat. Time to go home."

"If it's all the same to you, my Lady, I think I'll stay out here for a while longer."

Ladybug paused. "You sure? I thought cats didn't like water."

"Aww, are you worried about me?" He smirked when she rolled her eyes. "Fret not! I'll just be doing a couple more rounds, but rest assured I'll find some shelter if it starts to pour."

That would have been the end of it, except that the idea of leaving her kitten out in a storm didn't sit well with Ladybug. While she knew his home life wasn't the best, she didn't think it was so bad that he would rather risk getting caught in the rain and catching a cold than return to an empty house.

An idea popped into her mind, and she found herself speaking before she could stop herself. "I just remembered, Marinette told me she wanted you to stop by."

Chat lit up like a Christmas tree, his tail waggling in delight. "Purr-incess wants to see me?"

Mentally slapping herself, Ladybug scrambled for an excuse. "Uh, yeah! She said that she'd been experimenting with some new recipes and was looking for a taste tester. You sure you're up for it?"

"Of course! Anything she makes is bound to be good!" Chat declared proudly before grabbing his staff and blowing her a kiss. "I'll head over right away! Thanks my Lady, I'll cat-ch you later!"

"Wha – Chat, wait!"

But her partner was already springing towards the bakery, and Ladybug cursed under her breath as she raced to beat him there.

* * *

 _(I promise that when you get sick, I'll do whatever I can to make you better.)_

Despite having dried hours ago, Chat's blonde hair was still a poofy mess from his unfortunate little dip in the Seine earlier that afternoon. It reminded Marinette of those cartoons with the wet cats and their puffed up fur, and she would have teased him about it were he not currently sneezing all over the blankets wrapped around his shivering frame.

Under any other circumstances she would have sent him straight home to get some rest, but since _Ladybug_ had been the one to toss him into the river in the first place, her guilty conscience insisted she make it up to him (even if he didn't know it was her). Curled up on her chaise with faux leather ears flattened against his head and a nose to rival a certain reindeer's, Chat truly looked a pitiful sight when Marinette returned from the kitchen.

"Here, drink up," she said, offering him a mug of herbal tea.

Chat accepted it with a nod of thanks and took careful sips of the hot drink, his shaking slowly but surely subsiding as it warmed him up. The two sat in comfortable silence for a while, amidst the occasional sniffle.

"Sorry about this," Chat murmured at last. "I should've just stayed home instead of coming to bother you. I just – I don't know, didn't want you to think I ditched you or something."

Marinette shook her head with a sigh, unable to help the small smile creeping onto her face. While Chat had been stopping by the bakery pretty regularly lately, he should have known she wouldn't mind if he skipped a meeting or two. Besides, she knew what it was like to have to balance a civilian life with superhero duties. Adding balcony visits to the list no doubt stretched his time even thinner, and it would have been the most logical thing to give up in light of more pressing issues. Like taking care of his health, for instance.

"Silly kitty, you're no bother," she assured him, reaching out to scratch his fake ears. "Though I'd prefer it if you actually went to a doctor and got some medicine for your cold."

"But I wanted to see you!" Chat whined after she retracted her hand. "And I knew my Princess would make me all better, right?"

"Of course I would."

And it was true, Marinette realized belatedly. Just as Chat would do anything to keep Ladybug safe from harm, there wasn't anything she wouldn't give to make sure her kitty was well-fed, healthy, and happy.

Deciding to indulge him a little, she returned her hand to his head and resumed her scratching, earning soft purrs of delight.

* * *

 _(When I can't make you better, I promise to make you comfortable.)_

"Chat, come on."

"Five more minutes."

"We need to finish patrol."

"But I'm so comfortable!"

"Sleeping on concrete?"

"Lying on the cold hard ground, oh!"

"Chat!"

"Am I in trouble, trouble, trouble?"

Ladybug resisted the urge to haul her partner by the tail and throw him off the roof. She knew cats were lazy, but this was just ridiculous! Her annoyance must have shown on her face, because Chat quickly sobered up and rolled over.

"Alright, looks like naptime's over," he sighed, stretching languidly before getting to his feet.

His movements were stiff, controlled even, and there was a certain heaviness in his limbs which did not go unnoticed. Ladybug's eyes narrowed in suspicion, wondering how she had missed the way Chat looked so spent. It was easy to attribute his behavior to sore muscles or just plain laziness, but something told her there was more to his lethargy than physical exhaustion.

"Talk." She demanded firmly. "What's going on?"

Chat blinked. "What do you mean?"

"What do I – You're usually bouncing all over the place during patrol, but now you're acting like someone's taken out your batteries. Not to mention you haven't cracked a single pun since we started." That had been the clincher, realizing that amidst all the joking and light banter, there had been a distinct lack of insufferable cat puns. Ladybug's face softened in worry. "Is everything okay?"

The flash of vulnerability on Chat's face lasted for only a fraction of a second before it was plastered over with a grin. "Everything's fine!" He assured her. "I just needed a short break, but I'm feeling better now. Race you to Notre Dame?"

Ladybug raised an eyebrow.

"Feline," Chat corrected, realizing his mistake too late. "I'm feline better."

Arms crossed, Ladybug waited. Her partner wasn't fooling anyone, much less her. The expression on his face was a little too wide, much too forced, and she'd known him long enough to recognize when he was faking it. Her patient stare never wavered, and Chat's façade eventually broke.

"It's been a long week," he admitted tiredly, his voice suddenly very small as he looked away. Visibly deflating, his shoulders drooped and his tail hung low, but he didn't seem inclined to share any more than that.

The guilt that stabbed at Ladybug's heart was not entirely unexpected. It was obvious that Chat was wound up, likely stressed from events in his civilian life. Given how adamant she was about keeping their identities a secret from each other, she had to wonder if it held him back from talking to her about his troubles. It risked revealing too much detail about the boy beneath the mask after all, and knowing Chat, he would rather keep things bottled up than to go against his Lady's wishes. But as much as Ladybug was reluctant to pry, her heart ached to see her partner so miserable.

So she did the next best thing.

"Bugaboo?" Chat watched in confusion as she took a seat where he had been lying down just minutes ago.

"It's been a long week for me too," she said with a sympathetic smile, patting the space beside her invitingly. "I think you might have had the right idea about taking a break. Paris can do without us for one night, wouldn't you say?"

Ladybug rarely cited exhaustion to cut a patrol short, but seeing Chat curled up next to her, getting some much needed rest as she combed her fingers through his hair, she knew it was worth it.

* * *

 _(When I can't make you comfortable, I promise that I will tell you that you are the best, most wonderful cat, and I will help you die.)_

The world screeched to a stop when Chat Noir went down.

Ladybug wasn't normally one for dramatics, but she swore time began to slow the moment Chat had shoved her away from the akuma's attack. Some part of her knew what was coming and she desperately tried to hold on to her partner, tried to pull him to safety with her, but her reaction was a split second too late and she could only watch as he took a direct hit to the chest.

A large splatter of blood arced gracefully through the air, coating the once shiny blades attached to the akuma's hands like a mantis. There was the sound of razor sharp metal slicing through flesh and bone, along with someone screaming hysterically. Chat's face held an expression of muted shock, as though he hadn't fully processed the fact that his torso had just been slashed open. He toppled backwards, falling falling falling through the air…

Then his body hit the ground with a dull, wet _thud_ , and everything started to move again.

It took Ladybug a moment to realize that the scream ringing in her ears was hers. All she could see was red _red RED_ , the stench of copper flooding her senses and creeping up the back of her tongue. She moved faster than she had ever gone, lassoing the akuma with her yoyo and sending it flying in the opposite direction before sliding to her knees next to her fallen partner.

"L-L'dy…" He gurgled, the blood in his throat beginning to spill past his lips. There was a tight strain around his eyes when he looked at her, and she could tell it hurt him just to keep breathing.

"Shh… You'll be okay, you'll be okay," she whispered unevenly, choking on a sob as she cradled his head gently. It wasn't clear who she was trying to convince at that point, but none of it would matter in the end if she didn't find a way to save him and oh _god_ she never knew the human body could hold so much _blood_ –

"M'sorry…" Chat mumbled as hot tears rained down on his face. "D'n cry…"

The broken words only served to push her closer to full out bawling. "I'll stop crying if you stop dying, okay? You need to hang on, just –" Her breath hitched and she covered her mouth with a trembling, bloodstained hand. "Don't leave me. You're the best partner I've ever had, you stupid, wonderful cat. Please, stay –"

A rumble in the distance alerted her to the fact that they were not out of danger yet. As reluctant as Ladybug was to let Chat out of her sight, she still had a job to do. Using Lucky Charm and the Miraculous Cure was the only way to help him, but first there was an akuma to take care of. Gritting her teeth in determination, she scrubbed away her tears.

" _Don't. Die."_ She squeezed his shoulders one last time before getting to her feet, prepared to end things once and for all. Chat nodded weakly, sending her a pained smile in encouragement, and he never once broke eye contact with her until she turned away.

Time was of the essence, and Ladybug wasted none of it as she practically pummeled the akuma to the ground. Her kitten had been hurt, and someone needed to _pay_. Lucky Charm gave her a shield to fight with at close quarters, enabling her to get at the purple medal hanging from the akuma's neck. With righteous fury and pure, unbridled rage driving her forward, she managed to land a solid punch on the possessed item, shattering it to pieces while it was still on the akuma's body. One quick flick of her wrist later, a white butterfly fluttered away from her yoyo.

"MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"

Holding her breath as the cure worked its magic, Ladybug watched anxiously as a cloud of red swirled around Chat, repairing the extensive damage done to his motionless body. She hurried to his side when it dissipated, pulling him into her lap and shaking him gently.

"Chat?" She whispered.

His eyes remained closed, and the mask over them vanished in a flash of green light as his ring finally timed out.

* * *

"You just don't break promises to cats," Marinette said softly, sensing her best friend standing behind her.

Alya frowned in confusion, but didn't comment on Marinette's sudden surge of sentiment towards the purring felines twined around her legs. "That's good to know and all, but we really should get going. Like, _now_."

As though a spell had been broken, the strays rubbed at her calves one last time before scampering away. "Sorry!" Marinette grinned sheepishly, quickly returning inside to wash up as Alya waited for her in the front.

"Hurry up! It's Nino's first gig at that club downtown and Adrien's meeting us there. You don't want to keep them waiting, do you?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming! Geez!"

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Couldn't resist throwing a reveal in there oops.

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think :)


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